Former Saints TE Jimmy Graham still mulling retirement amid arctic rowing training

Graham is dwelling on playing his 14th season in the NFL.

While Jimmy Graham intends on rowing across the Arctic Ocean in 2025 to break a world record, he has not ruled out the idea of playing football this upcoming season. Graham would say to Katherine Terrell of ESPN that he is going to contact the New Orleans Saints and ultimately decide what he will do.

“I'm gonna reach out to the Saints and figure out what's best, and then make the decision on when it's best for me to retire,” Graham said to ESPN.

The tight end has played 13 seasons in the NFL where the first five were played for the Saints where he had very productive years. He would end up reuniting with New Orleans last season but it led to limited results as he caught six passes for 39 yards to go along with a touchdown.

That last season was his first back after taking a year off from football as he signed with the Saints on a one-year deal. At the time, he said that he only wanted to play for New Orleans which is a point that still stands for the 37-year old.

“I don't have any expectations,” Graham said. “I just want to make sure when I retire, it's as a Saint, and it's when they want me to. I'll just make sure I give them a call and see exactly when they want me to retire and then I'll end up doing it.”

Graham on training for both the Saints and his rowing expedition

If he does decide to come back to the NFL, he would be training not just to be in football shape, but also to eventually row the Arctic Ocean as said before. It will be a four-person team that will row 1,000 kilometers in the quest to beat the world record which is 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes per ESPN as Graham talks about training for both as the Saints look to bounce back.

“I think anything is possible,” Graham said talking about the possibility of training for football and also rowing across the Arctic Ocean. “Right now I'm certainly enjoying how my body feels as far as my joints and everything….Last year I think was difficult for all of us. There were a lot of things that went down and having such a good team and not making the playoffs. I think obviously the team is stronger than it was last year even. It's going to be obviously interesting for me to be home watching, if that's the case.”

“I know a lot of people were shocked I came back at my age and thought that I couldn't do anything,” Graham continued via ESPN. “But I know that every time I was on that field and every opportunity, I made the best of it. And I think I still showed people that I still have the athleticism to get open and score touchdowns.”

In any sense, if Graham does end up coming back to the Saints, they will aim in improving after a 9-8 record where they were second in the NFC South, but eliminated from the playoffs. They will start the upcoming season at home against the Carolina Pabthers on Sunday, Sept. 8.